Windmill.



' J. A. SWANSON.

WINDMILL.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.1, 1910.

Patented June 14, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ANDREW B, GFUWAM cu. PNOTO-LITHOGRAFNERS. WASHINGTON, ac.

J, A. SWANSON.

WINDMILL.

APPLIG'ATION FILED FEB. 1, 1910.

Patented June 14, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ANDREW B. GRAHAM co PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHERSWASHINGTON. D. I;

JOHN A. SWANSON, OF CANTON, SOUTH DAKOTA.

WINDMILL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February 1, 1910.

Patented June 14, 1910. Serial No. 541,317.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN A. SWANsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Lincoln and State of South Dakota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Windmills, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wind mills and has for its object the provision of a wind mill provided with a plurality of bodily movable blades.

Another object is the provision of a housing for the reception of said blades and a connection between the blades and frame work of the mill, whereby the blades may be moved outwardly to any required extent when it is desired to increase the speed and power of the mill, or may be moved inwardly and from exposure to the wind when it is desired to stop the device.

Vith these and other objects in view, which will more fully hereinafter appear, the present invention consists in certain novel details of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of the device may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification :Figure 1 is a side elevation of the upper portion of the frame work of a wind mill constructed in accordance with my invention and showing the shaft partly in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the head and upper portion of the shaft. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a similar view on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

The frame-work comprising the supporting frame includes a plurality of uprights designated by the numeral 5 the upper ends of which are connected by a platform desig nated by the numeral 6. Preferably four of these uprights are employed and connecting the intermediate portion of two of the uprights and arranged diagonally of the frame is a cross piece 7.

The main shaft is designated by the numeral 8 and is tubular and extends from a point below the cross piece 7 to a point considerably above the platform 6. That portion of the main shaft 8 extending through the cross piece 7 is provided with an annular flange 9, which bears on the balls 10 arranged in a race carried by the cross piece 7 That portion of the main shaft 8 extending through the platform 6 is surrounded by a boxing 11 carried by the said platform and forming a bearing surface for the upper end portion of the main shaft 8.

Carried by the upper end portion of the main shaft 8 and located above the platform 6 is a cylindrical head designated in general by the numeral 12. The head includes in its construction a circular bottom 13 and a circular top 14 the said top and bottom being connected together by means of a circular side wall 15. The central portion of the bottom 13 is provided with an opening for the reception of the main shaft 8 and surrounding this opening and arranged on the opposite faces of the bottom are a pair of bushings 16 and 17 which encircle the main shaft 8 and are keyed thereto by means of set screws or the like. The upper end portion of the shaft extends to a point adjacent to the center of the head 12, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Formed at spaced intervals in the side wall 15 of the head are a plurality of vertically extending slots 18, which extend to points adjacent to the top 14 and bottom 13. It is to be understood that I am not to be limited to a specific number of these slots.

The slots 18 receive the blades 19, the latter being of wood, metal or any suitable material and being considerably less in width than the radius of the head 12. The blades 19 are slidingly fitted in the openings 18 and when moved outwardly to their full extent will form broad bearing surfaces for the wind, whereby the speed and power of the mill may be increased according to the amount of surface which these blades present to the wind. In order that the blades may be moved outwardly to any required extent and moved inwardly when it is desired Without rendering the device inoperative I employ a connection between a lever and all of the blades, whereby movement of the lever will simultaneously move the blades. Since the same elements are used to connect all the blades with the lever a de scription of the connection between one of the blades and lever will be sufficient. By reference now to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the upper end portion of the main shaft 8 is provided on its outer surface with a collar 20, the said collar having a recess for the reception of one end of a horizontally disposed brace rod 21, the opposite end of which is secured to the side wall 15 of the head and between two of the slots 18. \Vith this construction it will be seen that the brace rod 21 extends radially with respect to the head and main shaft 8. Pivoted to the medial portion of the brace rod 21 is a bell crank lever having arms of unequal lengths and extending upwardly from the brace rod 21. Connection between the shorter arm 22 of the bell crank and the medial port-ion of the inner side of the blade 19 is established by means of a link 23 the opposite ends of which are pivoted to the arm 22 and inner side of the blade. The longer arm 24: of the bell crank extends to a point directly over the tubular shaft 8, that is when the blade 19 is moved outwardly.

An operating lever is designated by the numeral 25 and has one end fulcrumed on a hanger 26 depending from the cross piece 7 and extending to a point below the tubular shaft 8. That portion of the operating lever 26 underlying the tubular shaft 8 is provided with a socket 27 and swiveled in this socket 27 is a button 28. The button 28 underlies the tubular shaft 8 and connection between the button and inner end of the arm 24: of the bell crank is established by means of a connecting rod extending through the tubular shaft 8 and having its opposite ends pivoted to the button and arm 2 1 of the bell crank. lVith this construction it is evident when the blade is moved outwardly, whereby the lon er arm 2 1 of the bell crank will be raised to a point considerably above the upper end of the tubular shaft 8, that by mov ing the operating lever downwardly the longer arm of the bell crank will descend, whereby its opposite arm will move upwardly and by means of the link connection of said opposite arm and blade the latter will move inwardly and into the head 12.

A rack bar 30 depends from the cross piece 7 and is arranged adjacent to the free end of the operating lever 25, and the latter is provided on one side with a spring-pressed latch 31 slidingly fitted in guides, arranged on the side of the lever. An operating handle 32 is pivoted adjacent to the free end of the operating lever and connection between one end of the operating handle and latch is established by means of a link 33. With this construction it is obvious that the blade may be secured against movement in any of its adjusted positions.

By reference now to F 1 and 2 it will be seen that keyed to the main shaft 8 and at a point below the platform 6 is a bevel gear 3 1 and journaled in the uprights of the frame are a pair of driven shafts 35 and 36 the inner ends of which are provided with bevel gears 37 and 38 the teeth of which mesh with the gear 34. The outer end of the driven shaft 35 is provided with a pulley 39 having a belt connection with a mill or other device to be operated by the wind mill, while the outer end of the opposite driven shaft 36 is provided with a disk 10 having an eccentric stud 41 which receives one end of a pitman l2 for operating a pump (not shown).

From the foregoing it can be seen that I have provided a device which is comparatively simple in structure and inexpensive in manufacture, embodying few parts and these so arranged that the danger of derangement will be reduced to a minimum.

I claim 1. In a wind mill, the combination with a supporting frame, and a vertically disposed tubular shaft journaled in said frame; of a hollow cylindrical head keyed to said shaft and provided with a plurality of longitudinal openings, a plurality of blades slidingly fitted in said openings, an operating lever connected with the frame, and connections between said lever and blades for moving the said blades through the openings.

2. I11 a wind mill, the combination with a supporting frame, and a vertically disposed tubular shaft journaled in said frame; of a hollow cylindrical head keyed to said shaft and rotatable in a horizontal plane, and provided with a. plurality of longitudinal openings, a plurality of blades slidingly fitted in said openings, an operating lever connected with the frame, and connections between said operating lever and blades for simultaneously moving the blades through the openings.

3. In a wind mill, the combination with a support-ing frame, and a vertically disposed tubular shaft journaled in said frame; of a hollow cylindrical head keyed to said shaft and rotatable in a horizontal plane and provided with a plurality of longitudinal openings, a plurality of blades slidingly fitted in said openings, an operating lever connected with the frame, connecting rods swiveled to the operating lever, and connections between said rods and blades whereby the latter may be moved through the openings.

4. In a wind mill, the combination with a supporting frame, and a vertically disposed tubular shaft journaled in said frame; of a hollow cylindrical head keyed to said shaft and rotatable in a horizontal plane and provided with a plurality of longitudinal openings, a plurality of blades slidingly fitted in blades may during the rotation of the head 10 said openings, a plurality of connecting rods be projected and retracted through the said slidingly fitted in said tubular shaft, link openings.

and lever connections between the upper In testimony whereof I affix my signature ends of said rods and the inner sides of said in presence of two Witnesses.

blades, an operating lever connected with JOHN A. SlVANSON.

the frame, and a swiveled connection be- W itnesses: tween the lower ends of said connecting TORE TEIGEN, rods, and the operating lever whereby said CARL HOWE. 

